Stainless steel processing is only one of the steps in our production process. In fact, at Metal’s, we are committed to providing a complete service to our customers, starting with technical advice and ending with delivery. We have already talked about this in the article on how we work. But how is a project developed, concretely? And how do we approach a project? We talk about it in this article, where we illustrate a real case.
Optimising costs, production and processing: a Metal’s case history
At Metal’s, each project is developed together with the customer to achieve the set objectives and suggest different options to optimise production, cost and time.
In particular, in the case we describe in this article, we have decided to explain even better how we work for the companies that rely on us, starting from a typical request that we often receive from our customers: costs optimisation.
The case and the request: optimising costs without compromising aesthetics, functionality and robustness
An important customer in the Food Processing sector commissioned us to develop bakery cabinet systems for bakeries, shopping centres and supermarkets. The objective: to optimise production costs without modifying the aesthetics of the product, its functionality and its performance, both in terms of rigidity and stability, two essential features to facilitate the movement of the cabinets on wheels, even in the presence of height differences.
Our proposal: already assembled cabinet systems with a strong and light structure
In this case, we proposed to realise the cabinet systems using special cutting and bending processes, which allowed us to obtain an already assembled stainless steel semi-finished product, almost identical to the cabinets previously produced for our customer, with a structure both strong and light, and ready to use. The solution we found to achieve this result and contain costs included also the study of a type of interlocking and fixing system that took into account different thicknesses and materials.
The importance of the test phase: a prototype to be tested on site
Our technical department studied the possible alternatives and proposed to the customer the rendering of a new design compatible with his initial requirements.
Furthermore, to verify that the product met the agreed requirements of aesthetics, functionality and stability, we made a sample and sent it to the customer to allow him to test it and simulate different loads under real conditions.
“When they asked us if it was possible to reduce product costs while maintaining the same aesthetics, quality and functionality, we set our technical department to find the best solution to their request. Once we took over the customer’s initial design, we had already optimised in the first production phase, we developed it further. Then we created a prototype of the cabinet system, so that the customer could test it and verify the versatility and rigidity of the product, as well as the possible presence of deformations and defects to be corrected.” – Luca Regazzo, Technical Sales Manager
On the road to production: from prototype to the realization, up to the final testing
Once we had successfully completed the tests and verified that the prototype met the requirements – in this case, versatility, robustness, aesthetics and cost reduction -, we entered into the heart of the production cycle and the actual realisation of the cabinet system, which was subsequently marketed on the market of reference.
Production is a phase in which we are even more careful and rigorous in making sure that project standards are met, without exceeding delivery times. In fact, thanks to our state-of-the-art machinery in operation every day, 24 hours a day, we can deliver the product on time.
“Each processing cycle of the cabinet system, including production and finishing, was always followed by our technical experts to achieve the goals shared with the customer. Furthermore, once we finished the product, we performed a strict quality control to test the suitability of it. This was possible because, beforehand, we developed the project to take into account the subsequent steps. In fact, we work in synergy – between Metal’s departments and with the customer – and our work always starts with a customer’s drawing, optimised and developed by our technical department according to the customer’s requirements. The realisation of several renderings then allows us to get closer to the shared objectives, but it is with the realisation of a prototype that we can understand if there is still a need to act to improve the design. After testing the sample, the production department comes into play, where every step is carried out with precision, speed and punctuality. This allows us to meet the agreed deadlines and achieve the high standards required, thus ensuring our customers a perfect product.” – Nicola Borella, Plant Manager
A single partner for the most complex projects
The case study described in this article is just one of the many examples of how Metal’s works every day both as a supplier and as a true partner to companies in various sectors. Find out what we can do for you. Rely on Metal’s for your productions.